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Homemade Vegetable Broth

October 11, 2016

Homemade vegetable broth is a great way to add some taste and flavor to different kinds of meals. The vegetable broth shows that we don’t always need seafood, meat or poultry to prepare a tasty broth. As a matter of fact, most of the broths based on vegetables are more popular than the other. It doesn’t really matter whether you are a vegetarian or you just want to eat something healthy, the homemade vegetable broth will definitely provide what you are looking for.

Why it’s better to make your own vegetable broth vs. buying from a store

One of the main benefits of homemade vegetable broth versus a broth from a store is avoiding preservatives and other potentially harmful ingredients such as hydrolyzed wheat gluten, monosodium glutamate, and dextrose. The homemade vegetable broth is made from ingredients you select- you have your unique experience with soups and possibly some tradition passed on from your mother, so you can make this broth yours. For example, I grew up in Poland where soup stock veggies would literally be bundled up for grabs in the local green grocery. The bundle was called wloszczyzna (Wlochy means Italy in Polish, and this is a tribute to Queen Bona, an Italian woman that married the Polish king Zygmunt Stary many centuries ago and brought some new vegetables to Poland). The traditional soup stock in Poland still includes wloszczyzna: celeriac root, parsley root, cabbage, leeks, carrots, garlic and some onion slightly burned over the fire. Well, celeriac root is hard for me to find here in the USA, but parsley root is just impossible! In my 20 years living here, perhaps I have seen it a few times.

Homemade vegetable broth presented here is great for those who are sick. This alkalizing and mineralizing broth has the ability to cleanse the body and reenergize those feeling exhausted. It is rich in different nutrients, especially in essential minerals.

How to can or freeze broth to have on hand

It is always a smart idea to make extra vegetable broth so you can freeze or can the rest of it and have it on hand at a later time. The process of freezing and canning is very simple.

First of all, wait for the broth to cool completely. After that, take some plastic bags (quart size) or mason jars (glass), and fill them with broth. Make sure that you have left some room at the top. After that, seal the plastic bag carefully or tighten the lid. The bags should be placed in the freezer in a flat position (a cookie sheet may help). The jars stand up straight. After 24 hours when the bags are completely frozen you can put them in a bigger plastic bag. Defrost as needed.

Another good way to preserve your homemade vegetable broth is to put it in a can. Canning is a simple process and all you need is completely sterile canning jars. Just make sure that you have left some space at the top because the broth needs some space. Place the canning jars in a pressure cooker and follow the instructions.

Adding homemade vegetable broth in your diet is one of the smartest things that you can do in the busy kitchen of the 21^st century!

Enjoy this delicious homemade vegetable broth recipe! Looking for more recipes with functional nutrition benefits? Follow me on Pinterest!